I got the job!!

I had a job interview today and it went well. As good as it can go, I suppose, since I got the job. I’m signing the contract on the 11th of July, but I only actually start working on the 1st of September. So, as feared, I’ll be jobless for a couple more months… But hey, progress!

The pay is good, the work is good, the boss is stellar - or at least really good at fooling me into thinking he’s stellar - and it’s in the city I used to live in, so that’s great. I love that city very much, even though I only spent less than a year actually living there. It’s just really nice.

Speaking of money. I used to earn around 1259€/month as grant money, which was nice because I paid no tax, but not so nice because there were no benefits otherwise. In Portugal, people usually earn 14 months’ worth - since you get a month’s salary as a vacation subsidy and another month’s worth as Christmas subsidy - but grants are strictly monthly. Also, there’s nothing else: it’s those 1259, period. Here, I earn more than the number on the tin, which by the way, was 1300€. Now, the thing is that the grants had actually just gone up to 1300 when I quit. I did get 1 month of 1300. So, really, I would be earning 1300 €, though I didn’t really experience that very much at all.

Regardless, now my income will go up to about 1660€/month. That’s… That’s at least a 330€ increase! WOW!!! And I get social security, which I did not get as a grant recipient.

I still get to do research - now in a more relevant area - not that I’m particularly interested in research, but it is what I know and have been doing for like, 3 years now… This is nice.

Suffering from success, however, my parents are basically forcing me to get an apartment. I don’t want to do that, because it’s more expensive. My mom seems to have fallen in love with a T0 that’s close to the job, but it’s fucking 550€ a month, which of course isn’t a lot at all, but it is much more than I’m willing to pay. Now… They’re saying they’re gonna pay me like 200€! To like, cover the expenses… Come the fuck on!

Should I take this? Mind you, I know for a fact my parents couldn’t care less about losing 200€, especially not if it’s to pay for my accommodation while I work, and they certainly won’t miss the money much. Still, I feel like, I don’t know, it’s not great. I don’t want to burden them any more than I already have. They pay for so much already, they give so much, and I feel that I’ve only ever taken.

On one hand, of course it’d be nicer to have an apartment as opposed to renting a room, but I’m not sure I should take their money like that…

Regardless, that’s a conundrum I shall solve later. For now, I stay happy that I got a job and that the pay is reasonable. Even if I take the apartment and my parents’ money, I’d be left with around 1030€/month. If I spend, say, 100€ on food (which would be quite a bit for me, if I’m wise with my coin), that would easily leave more than 800€ for investing, which is what I was doing previously. Sigh…

I’ll overthink this later, and think it over a bit.